Forty-nine people were killed and 676 injured after a train crashed this morning while pulling into Once Central station, officials confirmed. A 7-year-old boy was amongst the first reported fatalities as he remained trapped inside one of the front carriages for almost three hours. Emergency teams concluded the rescuing of victims from the wreckage, sending critically injured to local hospitals to be treated. Paramedics were also treating victims at the scene.
The head of the SAME emergency services Alberto Crescenti said that the amount of people injured had increased to «676.»
After the crash at least 100 people were pulled out of the wreckage and taken to Ramos Mejía Hospital, Durand, Santojanni, Penna, Rivadavia, Tornú, Vélez Sarsfield hospitals to be treated.
Sources at the scene said that rescue activities were non-stop and that there were many injured passengers sat in the station hall waiting to be moved to hospital.
The National and City Goverments ruled two days of mourning due to the accident. President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner expressed her condolences to the families of the victims. Official Carnival celebrations that were to take place on Friday were cancelled as well.
Transport Secretary Juan Pablo Schiavi was present at the scene and earlier described the accident as «terrible.»
The train crashed when it was moving into the station, it failed to stop and collided into the platform. Schiavi told reporters «it was moving at a speed of 26 kilometres per hour when entering the station, however when it crashed, it had slowed down and was travelling at 20 kilometres per hour.»
He went on to say “the impact of the crash caused the second carriage to be pushed 6 metres into the first carriage of the train.»
Once station, located in the heart Plaza Miserere is one of Buenos Aires’ central train stations. The state-run TBA Sarmiento train line was running from Moreno to Once station, and was filled with between 800 to 1,000 passengers on their daily commute.
Source: Buenos Aires Herald